Spin Around
by Lady Wolfie
Summary: Sirius reflects on his relationship with Regulus on his last night at Hogwarts. Oneshot. Please R&R!


**Title**: Spin Around

**Rating**: K+

**Genre**: General/Drama

**Setting**: Marauder era

**Ships**: None.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**A/N**: I am SO SORRY I have three other fics going that I've yet to update. Lack of inspiration I guess. Anyway, this is a one shot about Sirius and Regulus. I have no clue what Sirius did post-Hogwarts, but we're going to pretend he did Auror training because it works. K? Also, I don't know how many years younger than Sirius Regulus is, so I'm gonna say one. Please review and enjoy!

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The late spring sun set slowly over the lake. Sirius sat at the edge of the water, holding his knees to his chest and staring off into the distance. It was his last day at Hogwarts. He'd be leaving tomorrow, never to return. 

This was one of the few times in his seven years at Hogwarts that Sirius wasn't being flanked by one of his fellow Marauders or whoever his current girlfriend was. All of the other seventh-year Gryffindors were in the common room getting smashed. For once, he didn't feel like partying. Somehow sitting by the lake and watching the Giant Squid bask in the fading sunlight seemed preferable.

'_Seven years,_' Sirius thought. '_The best I'll ever have._' It had gone by so fast, and yet he had accomplished so much. He, James and Peter had spent almost three years learning how to become Animagi so that they could help Remus during his monthly werewolf transformations. They knew the Hogwarts and Hogsmeade grounds better than anyone had since the four founders and probably better than anyone will again for many years. Using this knowledge, they created the Marauder's Map (only to have in confiscated by Filch a few weeks ago). They wreaked havoc on the school; they left their mark. Remus had done the math: 694 pranks, 412 detentions. '_Damn good, if I do say so myself,_' Sirius thought. He grinned, but it was infused with sadness. He'd never be able to get away with that sort of thing in the real world. Sirius knew that the only reason McGonagall hadn't kicked them out yet was because she loved them too much, even when the pranks were directed at her. She could be a hardass, but at least she had a sense of humor. Sirius wasn't quite sure he would be able to say as much for his Auror trainers (especially if the infamous "Mad-Eye" Moody taught him).

That was his chosen path for life after Hogwarts – to be an Auror. Not only was it a particularly useful thing to be now that Voldemort was in power, but it was a huge slap in the face to his family. Being an Auror was something he had wanted ever since he realized what a load of bollocks their pureblood obsession was the year he started Hogwarts; the year he met James, Remus and Peter (the latter two being only half-blood). Not that his family would care of course. They hated him. They probably wouldn't even know, unless Regulus told them...

Regulus. His little brother.

Sirius's expression turned sour. He had had so much hope for Regulus. He had tried so hard to ensure that his little brother wouldn't turn to the dark side. The way they glared at each other or fought whenever they passed each other in the halls, one wouldn't think that Sirius actually loved his brother dearly. Why else would he try to hard to keep him from doing something stupid like joining the Death Eaters (as Sirius was pretty sure most of Regulus' friends had either already done or would do soon)?

Sirius and Regulus were close when they were kids; they had been the best of friends. But then Sirius went off to Hogwarts and Regulus was left alone with their parents in their dreary London home. Every coupe of days, Regulus would receive an owl from Sirius, saying how amazing Hogwarts was and how great his new friends were. He even confided in him that only James was pureblood as well. ("Don't tell mum and dad," he'd usually mention somewhere in his letter. "They think it's bad enough I'm in Gryffindor; I doubt they'd approve of my best friends being blood traitors, as mum'd put it.")

When Sirius came home the summer after his first year, he'd regale Regulus with stories of the pranks he and his friends had pulled. Regulus loved it. Sirius promised him that in September when he went to Hogwarts, he'd be welcome to join the gang.

September came. He wasn't.

Sirius acted differently around his friends. They may not notice it, but Regulus had grown up with him; he could tell. Sirius was clearly popular and he seemed a little arrogant at times. When Regulus tried to even walk with Sirius and his friends in the hallways, Sirius would just shrug him away. It baffled Regulus why his brother - his best friend - had suddenly become such a jerk. Was it the fact that he was in Slytherin? He knew Sirius had been disappointed when he was sorted there, but Regulus didn't think it had bugged him that much. Maybe he just wasn't cool enough or mature enough to hang out with them, but then again, Sirius' gang wasn't exactly the most mature bunch he'd ever seen. He never knew what it was that made Sirius shun him.

When Regulus had had enough, he decided that it was time to make his own crowd. He befriended his fellow Slytherins and soon was just as popular in Slytherin house as Sirius was in Gryffindor. For the entire year, it was sibling rivalry.

Then when summer came, Sirius was back to normal. Regulus couldn't understand it. One minute he's the victim of a cruel prank and the next Sirius wants to be friends with him again? No. Regulus wasn't going to go along with it. He began to treat Sirius just as he had been treated in his first year at Hogwarts. Life was tense at the Black home, and it continued to be that way for every summer and every holiday until Sirius started spending Christmas and spring holiday at school or with his friends. Regulus knew why he did it. Sirius had tried to explain to him many a time the flaw in their parents' logic (actually, the logic of their entire family). Regulus understood it, and deep down agreed with it, but he could never admit it. Not to his family at least.

When Sirius had gotten sorted into Gryffindor, the entire family was shocked, but eventually Regulus began to understand why he had managed to break tradition. It wasn't simply that his views differed from those of his family, but that he was brave enough to show it. He constantly defied their parents, trying to show them how absurd their pureblood mania was. He had the guts to stand up to them. Regulus didn't. That was why he was in Slytherin, not Gryffindor, not with his brother.

It took a while for Sirius to realize that he was squeezing a rock so hard that his hand was turning red and his knuckles were turning white. Regulus just made him so angry. He was too weak to fight for what he knew was right. Sirius couldn't stand that.

It was officially night now. If Sirius wasn't done with Hogwarts, he probably could have gotten in trouble for being out there, but he wouldn't have cared anyway. The stars shone brightly overhead. Sirius could pick out his own star, as well as Regulus'. His thoughts drifted back to the night he ran away from home...

_"I'M SICK OF THIS AND I'M SICK OF YOU!" Sirius yelled at his parents. Regulus watched from a crack in his door and Sirius ran up the stairs and slammed the door shut, ignoring the screams and threats of their parents. Regulus sighed and shut the door. They were at it again. It was nothing new at this point. But to Regulus, this time seemed different. It seemed like Sirius had finally had enough. He snuck out of his room and across the hall to Sirius'. He put his ear against the door; there were a lot of ruffling and banging noises. Sirius was doing something, but Regulus wasn't sure what. He was about to knock, but he could hear his parents coming up the stairs and ran back into his room._

_Sirius glanced around the room. Did he have everything? He went over his mental checklist one more time. Yes, everything was prepared. Now all he needed was a way to get out._

_Sirius opened his bedroom door slightly and glanced into the hall to make sure Kreacher wasn't around. When he saw that the coast was clear he walked lightly across the hall to Regulus' room. It felt like it took him an eternity to open the door, but he had to be sure that he wouldn't make a sound. He slinked into the room and his eyes immediately fell on Regulus' broom. His parents wouldn't let him have one of his own, so for his escape, he had to steal his brother's. He'd give it back once school started._

_"Sirius?" came a quiet voice. "Sirius, what the hell are you doing. Do you have any idea what –"_

_"Shh!" hushed Sirius. He looked around as if to ensure that Kreacher really wasn't lurking in the room. "I'm getting out of here, Regs."_

_Regulus sat straight up in his bed. "You _what_?! Sirius you can't!"_

_"I have to! I can't be here anymore, Regs, you know that."_

_Regulus bowed his head. He knew. The two brothers sat in silence for a few minutes, then Sirius spoke. "Come with me."_

_"Are you kidding? Sirius I couldn't. I –"_

_"Please." Sirius looked at him with such desperation that for moment, he seriously considered it. "Regs, you know you don't belong here. You don't believe in their bullshit, why go along with it?"_

_"Because!" said Regulus, a little louder than he probably should have. "Because there's no point in fighting! Voldemort is taking over faster than you can imagine. There's no point in fighting; you'll only end up dead!"_

_"Then I'll die fighting for what I believe in!" Sirius looked at his brother, the sadness and disappointment evident on his shadowed features. "I don't care if you're not in Gryffindor, Regs. I always thought you were stronger than that." He got up from the bed and grabbed the broom. "See ya at Hogwarts," he said and left the room. Regulus stared out the window. Sure enough, in a few minutes he could see Sirius flying away, his obviously enchanted trunk (he'd get in trouble for that one) trailing behind him._

Sirius looked up when he heard someone approach him. It was Regulus. '_Speak of the devil,_' Sirius thought. He turned back to the lake as Regulus sat down beside him. They remained in silence for a few minutes, just like on that night. It wasn't awkward, thought. It was a comfortable silence.

"Where are you going after you leave here?" Regulus asked casually. Sirius looked at him, then back to the lake.

"Back to James' for a few days, until I can get a place of my own." Regulus nodded in response. The silence consumed them again.

"I don't suppose I'll ever see you again?" said Regulus. He tried to hide his sadness, but failed. Sirius was doing only a little better.

"I suppose not." More silence.

It was Sirius' turn to speak up first. "It's not too late, ya know." He looked at Regulus with the same desperation he showed on that summer night he left Grimmauld Place. Regulus shook his head.

"Yes it is." Their eyes locked for a few moments, but eventually Sirius turned away and nodded resignedly. He got from his position on the ground. The moon was high in the sky and he would surely have two thoroughly drunken Animagi and an equally sloshed werewolf to attend to by now.

Sirius gave a familiar salute. "Goodbye, Regs."

Regulus nodded. "Goodbye, Sirius."

Regulus watched as Sirius made his way back to the castle. Only when he was inside did Regulus turn his attention back to the lake. He wouldn't go back to the castle until dawn; he had some thinking to do.


End file.
